January 6, 2009: Back Home...in Japan!

The return home went very smoothly for the most part. We had a layover in Singapore, where I napped in the hallway and Sarah worked on the computer. We knew that JD and Cara would be on the same flight back to Japan with us, but we hadn’t found them yet. They were returning back from their trip to New Zealand. Eventually, though, we found each other at the gate check-in point. We shared a few travel stories and then finally boarded the plane.

Once on the near empty plane, the flight attendant was so gracious as to allow Sarah and me to move to the very nice exit row seats as we had done on our original flight from Japan. It was so comfortable being able to stretch out our legs, that it made going to sleep a breeze.

We woke up in time for breakfast as it was being served. At this point, a wave of nausea came over Sarah and she thought she would be sick. In just a short while, our plane was on the ground and she was a little better. We gathered our luggage and walked outside to the cool, Japanese winter weather, which we had not been missed. Sarah napped on my shoulder as we waited for our bus.

On the bus ride home, we took in our surroundings once more. We had wondered what the return to Japan would feel like to us after Australia. Would we be excited to be “home’? Or would we be depressed to be back in this foreign land since, after all, we had again become accustomed to English speaking, food, and other familiarities? The answer, it appeared, was somewhere in the middle. We were indeed happy to be home, but we did miss some of the comforts of Australia as well.

After the bus, we took a short cab ride the rest of the way. And finally, we were home. Technically, it was still fairly early in the morning. But we spent nearly the entire day sleeping, and then slept the entire night as well. Our fantastic voyage had zapped our energy. And we knew we must be well rested in order to get back to the reality of work...work in Japan. Which got us to thinking…coming back to Japan was not finishing an adventure. Rather, it was returning to one!

Januaray 5, 2009: Farwell Australia!

Our last morning in Australia was great, but at the same time it was a little bit hard to believe that our trip was over. We each enjoyed another hot shower and then we loaded up our suitcases and checked out. We packed our luggage into the rental car, and then went for one last walk around town.

We ate a little breakfast at a Hungry Jacks (Australia’s name for Burger King) and perused a couple of souvenir shops again. Then, we went to the nearby Brisbane Museum, which was originally the town courthouse. We rode the old elevator to the top and took in the view of town.

A few more pictures and a little more walking, and we were back to our car. We arrived at the airport, checked in our rental car, and then headed to the airline counter to check in. At the airline counter, we were very surprised to see that our luggage was far over the maximum weight requirements! We were astonished! We stepped to the side to restructure things. We put on an extra shirt and our jackets and hats to cut some wait. We through away some old bath towels we had originally brought for the purpose of couchsurfing. We also threw away a lot of brochures and some crackers and things we had for snacks. After rearranging…and dealing with the not-particularly-friendly girl at the check in counter…we just squeaked by.

Soon after, we boarded our plane. As our plane took off and ascended, we looked out the window and watched as Australia faded into the distance and out of sight. As we held hands we looked at each other contentedly, knowing that we had successfully completed one of the greatest adventures of our lives!

January 4, 2009: This Place is a Zoo!

We awoke with high expectations for our last full day in Australia. We hopped into the car and set off for our final big attraction, Steve Irwin’s famous Australia Zoo! Along the way we gave in to our appetites and stopped for breakfast at a McDonald’s. I know…I know. We had said all along that we would avoid eating at McDonald’s at all costs, but it was just so handy and we were so hungry… We’ve noticed that McDonald’s in different countries are mostly the same but with some minor differences. In Australia, they tend to put BBQ sauce on just about everything. And I might have expected a “breakfast roll” to be their name for a breakfast burrito, but it turns out that it is more like breakfast on a hoagie bun. Regardless, we got what we wanted out of it…full stomachs!

We continued up the road for an hour or so until we turned off onto a highway road appropriately named “Steve Irwin Way”. More and more signs with pictures of the legendary “Crocodile Hunter” were displayed all the way up to the zoo itself. It might sound kind of sappy, but it couldn’t escape feeling a little sad and a little privileged at the same time to be at the folk hero’s renowned zoo.

After parking the car, we applied plenty of sun block and then we followed the crowds of people to the entrance. We snapped a few pictures in front of the bigger than life image of the “Crocodile Hunter” and then paid our way for admission.

We began by looking at some gigantic old sea turtles...

then some rainforest birds...

then the snakes...

and then the wombats. We couldn’t get over how cute it was seeing a wombat being walked on a leash!

Next we made our way through a small, park-like area where we were able to mingle amongst some kangaroos and take some pictures. They were the brown kangaroos, which are much smaller than the big grays we had seen back in Coffs Harbor. These were much more approachable! They seemed to especially love Sarah! Than again…who doesn’t?!

After the kangaroo social, we made or way to the koalas. We were able to pet these furry little guys as well! We petted the seemingly comatose bears while the zoo keeper explained to the audience that koalas spend something like 90% of their time sleeping! The koalas remained in their siestas while crowds of people stroked their fur and took pictures with them. The only time they would wake would be when someone would touch their paws or face…which the koalas didn't like.

Now that we had petted and taken pictures with Australia’s two most famous animals, we moved on to the elephants and tigers. The elephants and tigers aren’t exactly Australian, but they are still very interesting to see. We learned that the tigers are nearing extinction because they are widely hunted in their native Asian countries. Many Asian cultures believe that eating or drinking powders made from the tiger’s body will give them supernatural powers or will cure disease. I think they are at the Australia Zoo for the purpose of promoting conservation and preservation of them and animals like them.

Next, we saw a few strange birds, some echidnas, and others as we made or way to the aptly named “Crocoseum”.

This is the famous coliseum where Steve Irwin used to wow the crowds with his daring match-ups with the ferocious crocs. We sat down amongst a relatively large crowd of people from many different countries. At the start of the show, a zoo spokeswoman came to gear up the audience. She began by asking people to applaud when she named their home country. She named Australia, to which many applauded loudly. She moved on to Japan, with the same result. Then “Germany”…the same. Then she said, “The U.S.A.” to which Sarah and I begin to stand up and be recognized like the others. Instead of the usual applause, there were only a few people clapping (likely other Americans) and the majority of the audience booed and hissed! We certainly didn’t expect that! It was as if George W. Bush himself were there. A little disappointed and surprised at the reaction, we and the other Americans who were scattered about the audience sat back down. Besides that one point, the show was very good. They began with some snakes, then some birds, and finally…the crocodiles!

Watching them feed the crocodiles was quite intense. We could hear the clap of their jaws snapping together as it echoed throughout the stadium! It was very interesting to watch, but it was all over very quickly. After a brief video on the jumbo-screen from Mrs. Irwin, we headed out for our final rounds in the zoo.

We saw some dingoes, a crazy looking bird called a cassowary, and a few random lizards running around as we made our way toward the exit. At the exit, there was a memorial bronze statue of Steve Irwin and his family. It was obvious that it moved many people who were very fond of him.

Feet tired and skin hot as usual, we hopped back in the car and headed back to Brisbane. We got back to the hotel and cleaned up and changed clothes to head out for our final dinner in Australia. Sarah dawned one of the dresses she had bought back in Sydney and she looked amazing! I wore my favorite shirt that she had bought for me in Surfers Paradise.

We ate dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant alongside the river. It was very pricey, but we figured our last dinner here should be special. It was very good and we had a wonderful time. The waitress even spent awhile chatting with us as we inspired her to travel and look into couchsurfing, as well as teaching in Japan. I really think we had her completely convinced to do it! After getting stuffed, we snapped some of our last pictures, with the bridge illuminated in the background.

We then walked back to the hotel for the last time on this journey. We lied in bed and recounted the many wonderful times we had shared with each other along the way. Obviously, there were too many to count, so counting the fantastic memories worked at putting us to sleep the way one might normally count sheep. Before long, we were both sleeping our last Australian night away.

January 3, 2009: Rock on Brisbane!

We utilized our time in the Surfers Paradise Marriott to the fullest extent and slept in ‘til practically the very minute designated for checkout time. Revitalized from a good nights rest, we were again saying goodbye to another Australian city. But first, we stopped into the nearby post office to send off a huge stack of postcards to our friends and family. I didn’t even know that we knew so many people! As we left Surfers Paradise, the rain was pounding down with ferocity. It was then that it dawned on us how lucky we had been in regard to the weather we had experienced in Australia. Until this morning, we had had almost nothing but beautiful, sunny days all along the way. And the rain today didn’t particularly interfere with any of our plans. I had pondered trying to take a quick surf lesson before leaving. I had planned all along our journey in Australia to do it at some point. But, with the rain pouring, my decision was made for me as I realized that surfing would have to come another time.

The drive was only three hours or so to Brisbane. Along the way, we stopped in one little town to get gas and grab some lunch at an Australian chicken fast-food chain. It was actually quite good. After lunch, we grabbed a few snacks from a nearby grocery store. I spotted a giant block of cream cheese which, along with some crackers, I proceeded to eat in its entirety while I drove toward Brisbane.

When we arrived in Brisbane, we realized that this city at a much more somber atmosphere than any of the other places we had been. It was as if there was an intentional symbolism there indicating our last stop in Australia. It wasn’t depressing or anything, it was just that the weather was a little cooler and more overcast. And there weren’t really any tourists or crowds of people to be seen wondering the streets. It was just calm and quiet.

We checked into our accommodations at the very nice Holiday Inn downtown. After a much needed nap, we set out to walk around and check out the local scene. We agreed that a cup of coffee might be in order to help get us going again! After a short walk, we quickly found the town center where people and shops could be found. We located a Border’s bookstore and coffee shop. We each got a cup of coffee and shared a dessert as we relaxed in the comfy chairs and reminisced about our trip thus far. After coffee, we perused through some books upstairs. We were especially interested in the books about working abroad, since we were speculating as to what our next adventure would be after Japan.

Afterward, we did a little more walking and shopping until we happened upon the sounds of some lively music coming from an open balcony on the second floor of a nearby building. We decided to check it out. The place was called “The Beach House” and it was just what we were in the mood for. It was a bar and grill type place and it looked like the place to be. There were lots of people crowded around tables drinking beer, eating good food, and listening to a great band play covers of songs from bands like Matchbox 20, Radiohead and others. We grabbed a table, a pitcher of beer, and ordered a huge plate of chicken nachos which was more than enough to feed the both of us! Sarah took every opportunity to poke fun at me for continually making remarks like, “This band is amazing!” I guess a few beers and some good music had me in a good mood and made me prone to share my opinion of the band with her more than necessary!

We stayed at the bar until the band quit playing. Afterward, we made the short walk to the hotel in the pleasant warmth of the evening. Along the way, we took a few pictures of the picturesque courthouse and a church. They both stood out in stark contrast to the modern skyscrapers surrounding them.

Then we arrived at our hotel. We were hoping that the hot tub would still be open, but much to our dashed hopes, it was not. Instead we utilized the hot shower in our room to relax and get cleaned up before bed. Even at this point in the trip, we were still very grateful for a hot shower! Afterward, we climbed into bed and fell asleep to an old western playing on TV. Our trip was nearing an end, but we were still dreaming of what our last full day in Australia might hold for us.

January 2, 2009: Australia!

We awoke to our only full day in Surfers Paradise well rested and excited to spend some time out on the beach, since it would likely be our last chance to enjoy the sand and surf while in Australia. We threw on our swim suits, sprayed on some much needed sun block, grabbed some towels and headed out.

Our hotel was right on the beach, so it was only a very short walk before we were back to my personal heaven…the beach! We played in the water and used our bodies to surf a few waves in. Sarah and I would compete to see who could get the most distance out of riding a wave with only our bodies. I felt like I won, but it was probably more like a tie!

Fighting the waves and the sun can really take it out of you quickly! So we decided to lie out in the soft sand and take a little nap. After a little sleep and sun kissed skin, we went back to the hotel, changed, and snagged some lunch at another Subway sandwich shop. We found ourselves just as satisfied with it then as we had earlier in our trip in Sydney.

Next, we walked around and did a little more shopping. Sarah found me some great shirts at a great deal. I think she is tired of me wearing the same old clothes I’ve had since high school! In one of the shops, we overheard some people saying that Paris Hilton was in the neighborhood doing some shopping and that she would soon be at the Louis Vuiton store directly across the street. As cheesy as it is, our curiosity led us to ask the shop keeper if the rumors were true. She replied by quickly pulling a large sign out from the counter below her which read, “Paris. You’re Hot!” That answered our question.

We didn’t stick around long enough to see Paris (although we later heard that she did indeed visit the store). Instead, we made our way to a little amusement park area which boasted a few “extreme” rides such as: a crane for bungee jumping, a giant slingshot that literally shoots people hundreds of feet into the air, and the “Vomitron”. We opted for the Vomitron. The ride was basically a long shaft with a seat on both ends which was suspended in the air in the middle by a hinge. The shaft pivoted on the giant hinge and spun round and round in complete circles. The chairs were also on pivots and spun erratically also! Once the ride began and we were spinning with the force of some kind of NASA training contraption, we were both laughing hysterically. It was either that…or cry! As we spun, we would see city then beach and ocean, city then beach and ocean… Then we spun the opposite way. The ride only lasted a few minutes…but it was a blast!

After some more walking and perusing inside a couple more shops, we went back to the hotel to shower and change. Sarah was getting very excited for the plans we had for the night! Our first order of business was dinner. Much to Sarah’s delight, the day before, we had spotted a “Lone Star” steakhouse just up the road from our hotel. This appealed to us for two big reasons: 1. it was the restaurant chain where Sarah had worked in Illinois; and 2. it was a Texas steakhouse!

Walking into the restaurant was like stepping through a gateway into Texas. The music, the décor and most importantly the food were all great familiarities from home. The menu even alluded to good ol’ Amarillo with their cheese fries. The mix of Australian Victoria Bitter beer and Texas style steak and barbecue ribs put us in paradise! The portions were definitely Texas sized, so we made the wise choice of sharing dinner.

Happy and content, we moved onward to the final ticket on our evening’s agenda. Sarah was especially excited for this event which she had hoped to fulfill since day one in Australia. So you wonder, “What could it be?” If I told you it was at the movie theater could you guess? Well, if you guessed watching the movie “Australia” in Australia, you would be right.

All along our journey, I had been much more concerned with beaches, attractions, sun and surf, hiking and wilderness, and other such things than going to a movie. But tonight, I was very happy to be there. For one, after days full of walking and of soaking up as much sun as any body can take; a relaxing evening in a dark, cool theater with an ice-cold Coke and a bucket of popcorn was sounding pretty good! And what’s better, I was happy to see one of Sarah’s little dreams for our trip to Australia come true! She was so delighted with it, she could hardly contain herself. And that is what makes me the happiest.

The movie was quite good. The insane cost of $15.50 per person had been tough to swallow! But the movie, the unwinding, and the fulfillment of Sarah’s dream all together made it worthwhile.

After leaving the theater, we were both ridiculously exhausted. After all, we had another very full day of sun, surf, wearing out our feet from walking, shopping, rides, and stomachs full of good Texas style food! The relaxing effect of a movie in a dark theater certainly didn’t diminish the feeling. However, we were determined to try a night-time swim in the ocean at some point during our trip. And tonight would likely be our last chance to do so. So, we parked the car at the hotel, grabbed our suits and towels, and went back down to the beach. We walked quite a ways along the beach trying to find a good spot. We began to wonder if there was any place secluded enough to feel like the ideal romantic moonlit beach scene, and yet safe enough to not fear for leaving our cameras and things on the beach. In the end, we decided the cold water might not be as enticing as we had envisioned to begin with. And so we enjoyed the walk instead and eventually returned to our hotel. Without hesitation, we were both in bed and asleep. Full days such as we had become accustomed to, lead to deep, restful nights of sleep!

January 1, 2009: Up in Smoke

We awoke to another bright, sunny day in Australia. After a nice breakfast with Sue and Greg, we exchanged some contact information and some gifts and then Sarah and I were back on the road. Our next destination was a reputed hippie town called Nimbin.

As Sarah so poignantly put it, “This town is trapped in the 1970’s hippie movement.” Everything in Nimbin revolved around marijuana. The stores, the signs, the people…everything. It was quite comical to see Sarah politely decline a lady who asked, “Would you like to buy some weed?” We stopped into the Rainbow Café to eat some lunch. As we were eating, we noticed one old man pull out a gallon sized zip-lock baggie which was about half full of weed. He casually made himself a fat joint and began smoking away!

It was kind of funny, but the whole scene got old pretty quickly. After perusing a few stores and snapping some photos, we were back on the road. And, in case you’re wondering, no...we did not partake in any of the town’s favorite pastime!

Our next stop was Byron Bay. Byron is one of the most famous beach areas in Australia with a reputation of partying and good times, along with surfing and sand. We walked around town and checked out the scene a little. The beach was nice, but it was very windy and crowded that day, so we didn’t much feel like doing the “beach thing” at the time. Instead, we went up the rode to a famous lighthouse. There, we took in some breathtaking views and captured some great photos.

After lots of walking, the seats in our rental car were somewhat inviting. We were now destined to Surfers Paradise! Farewell Bryon Bay!

Pulling in to Surfers Paradise felt a lot like pulling into Miami Beach. High rise hotels lined the coast and bright, flashing lights were everywhere. Surfers Paradise is one of the most famous beach cities in the country. It was quite different from the peaceful, secluded areas we had become accustomed to thus far in Australia. At the same time, it was very exciting and had an energetic feel to it.

We found our hotel, which we had booked through Priceline only days earlier, and hauled our bags through the Marriott parking garage to the elevators and finally into our room. We were so impressed with the Marriott in Sydney that we had very high expectations for this hotel. Though the Surfers Paradise Marriott was nice enough, it wasn’t anything extremely fancy. Compared to Sydney, it was a little disappointing. But, we were thankful we had a hotel at all during such a busy holiday time!

As we walked around the boardwalk along the beach, we quickly realized that Surfers Paradise is the go to spot for spring break style revelry. Although it had its elements of exhilaration, we became conscious of the fact that we must be getting older, because we much preferred the quieter, more secluded beach areas. All the same, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and tried to stay energetic despite the looming drowsiness from a long day.

We sat down to a pizza dinner on an outdoor patio at a little Italian restaurant. The place was moderately busy, but I felt that it was no excuse for the horrible service we received there! After ordering, we waited every bit of 30 minutes before we were ever even brought water! And we only got that because Sarah asked another waiter for it as he walked by. We waited at least another 45 minutes before our food arrived. The food was good and the company was great (Sarah), but this was the worst experience in so far as hospitality goes, that we had experienced in Australia. Regardless, we managed to enjoy ourselves and the nice summer night.

With full stomachs, we were ready for bed. In no time flat, we were back to our hotel, upstairs, showered, and in bed. It’s amazing how nice an ordinary bed can feel after a full day of tromping around in the sun!